August 15, 2011

Tottenham MP warns against racist threat

David Lammy (l) with deputy PM Nick Clegg on the streets of riot-hit Tottenham
Far-right anti-immigration groups are seeking to create "division" over last week's riots, David Lammy has warned.

The Labour MP, whose Tottenham constituency was recovering from the first outbreak of disorder seven days ago, said both the English Defence League and the British National party had been "seeking to stoke resentment" for their own political ends.

"Little more than a week after the first disturbances on the streets of London, one thing is clear: there are those who will use the past week to promote their own prejudices," he wrote in an article for the Independent on Sunday newspaper. He also singled out historian David Starkey as displaying "breathtaking ignorance" for suggesting that "a substantial section of the chavs... have become black".

Mr Lammy wrote: "This talk is as misleading as it is dangerous and divisive. Inconvenient as it may be for Starkey and the EDL, those who engaged in criminal behaviour came from all races. Equally importantly, so too did those who came forward to volunteer their help with the clean-up. In Tottenham, people's response was not to turn on one another but to come together."

There were fears at the height of the riots that tensions in multicultural London, Birmingham and Manchester could undermine community relations. But reports of a racial element in rioting were quickly dismissed as it soon became clear the violence was straightforward criminality.

Mr Lammy said "the cynicism of a prejudiced few" had been "outshone" by the civic pride of a new kind of patriotism.

"Britain's immigrant communities have stood shoulder to shoulder with their neighbours this past week," he concluded. "They, and we, should be deeply proud of that."

politics.co.uk

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

BNP/EDL are clearly riled because they hate to see unity in our communities, of which there has been an overwhelming outpouring of this week.

Together we are strong. Of course, a criminal is a criminal whether he's white black Asian working class or middle class.

Anonymous said...

WE MUST COMPLAIN TO BBC NOW! The more of us do it, the more likely they'll act on their blatant ignorance and indifference to allowing OBVIOUS racism and attempts to stoke up racial hatred on out screens. After all, that's what it was (and it's a crime in Britain incidentally)

And all on a broadcasting system that WE BRITISH are paying for.

Don't forget, if by the time you get to reading this part of my comment, and are still in the 'yeah, whatever' frame of mind, Griffin has hailed this Starkey bigot as a hero.

COMPLAIN NOW!

Josey Whales said...

I'm sure there are sadly many lucrative opportunities on the University Eugenics circuit for shamed "historian" David Starkey to join his fascist historian colleague Irving.

It's shocking that places such as Leeds University continue to host such conferences.

Hope though he is no more TV work for him, and I sincerely hope Channel Four remove all of his shows from their sattellite/cable redistibution back catalogue, so channels like UK History will not continue to air the repeats of his shows makimng more pennies for the neo-Nazi scumbag.

Anonymous said...

Once again, the EDL will escape justice after the recent arrests featured on your blog.

Whereas, someone apolitical in Salford has been jailed for stealing a bottle of water during the recent riots, thugs like Stephen Yaxley Lennon can physically assault a serving policeman and fuckin' well get away with it.

Anonymous said...

It looks like everybody who took part in the recent riots will be jailed, regardless of first offences or the severity of the crime.

You be your bibby if Caxley-Lemon had taken part, he would still escape with nothing more than caution, as he has state protection.

If he shot and killed someone, he'd only be given commuinity service.

NewsHound said...

SCREENSHOT TAKEN YESTERDAY FROM THE EDL/ SDL'S HARDCORE NEO-NAZI "ORDER88" FACEBOOK GROUP.

From #EDL 's secret Neo-Nazi 'Order 88' group:

(EDL MEMBER'S QUOTE: - "If the lefties found this, they would have a field day...")

http://t.co/O1VzAcX

PLEASE PUT THIS SCREENSHOT UP ON THE BLOG, KETLAN, EXPLAINING WHAT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF 88 IS, TO THE UNINFORMED! THANKS!

NewsHound said...

BREAKING NEWS EXCLUSIVE FROM EDL NEWS (ANTI-EDL SITE): ALAN HARPER EXPOSED AS DAVE WOOD, A FAR RIGHT PRESS MOLE OPERATING IN THE SAME MANNER AS REDWATCH: -

http://edlnews.co.uk/edl-news/alan-harper-exposed

PLEASE PUBLISH ON THE BLOG, KETLAN! HARPER IS A DANGEROUS FACSIST WHO IS PUTTING REPORTERS LIVES AT RISK!

NewsHound said...

MAMMOTH BILL FOR POLICING OF THE DEWSBURY EDL MARCH: -

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/central-leeds/dewsbury_172_000_bill_for_40_minute_edl_protest_1_3680755

NAZIS ARE SERIOUSLY COSTING THE ECONOMY......

NewsHound said...

BREAKING NEWS: LANCASHIRE ANTI-TERRORIST POLICE START TRACKING RIGHTWING EXREMISTS WHO GROOM CHILDREN TO RACIAL HATRED, ONLINE: -

http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/news/9194896.Scheme_to_spot_potential_right_wing_extremists_in_Lancashire/

Anonymous said...

David Lammy voted for the invasion of Iraq and against an inquiry into it, voted for ID Cards, voted for foundation hospitals, for Trident, for a sricter asylum system and against a transparent parliament. Lammy may be black but his voting record suggests he toes the white line. If all that money wasted on Iraq, Trident, foundation hospitals, etc, had been spent on areas like Tottenham there might not have been any riots.

Green voter said...

Breaking news - Miliband has condemned Starkey as strongly racist, but in typical Labour style it's too bloody little too bloody late.

rapetheleft said...

Ketlan,is it true you was raped by gay nazi Nicky Crane and then gang banged by his pals.Nick Lowles was telling me the other day.Have you been for a AIDS test?

Anonymous said...

David Lammy photographed with Nick Clegg - the man who said if the Tories get power there'd be riots within the year, and who then joined a coalition with the Tories to let the Tories get into power

Absolutely disgusting

Antifascist said...

'rapetheleft said...'

Sad twat.